Low-pressure turbine.



W. B FLANDERS.

LOW PRESSURE TURBINE. APPLICATION. FILED lAN.14 1909.

Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

WITN sszs- I I INVENTOR. I

W5 I, I ac/1210mm) 112101021 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WARREN B. FLANDERS, OE PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE COLONIAL TRUST COMPANY, TRUSTEE, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA. I

LOW-PRESSURE TURBINE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WARREN B. FLANDERS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have made a new and useful Invention in Low-Pressure Turbines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for controlling the disposition of motive fluid in organized apparatus consisting of high and low-pressure engines operating in series on all or a part of the motive fluid supply, but which operate under separate and independently variable loads.

Turbines known as low-pressure turbines are frequently used in conjunction with re-- clprocating engines where the power fromeach is used for different purposes and where the load of one is independent of the other. For example, a reciprocating engine might be driving a mill or shafting of any kind and the low-pressure turbine used for driving a dynamo, or the reciprocating engine used for driving a direct current dynamo for one purpose and'the low-pressure turbine an alternator for another purpose or vice versa.- In such applications it often happens that the load on the low-pressure turbine becomes light While the load on the reciprocating engine remains heavy; in such a case there is an excess of exhaust steam,

' that is, more than necessary for the lowpressure turbine. In cases like this, it has been customary to allow the excess exhaust steam discharging from the reciprocating engine to pass to the atmosphere by means of an escape valve. With such an arrangement, the reciprocating orilii'gh-pressure en gine does not obtain the advantages of as complete an expansion of the steam as is available and consequently the efficiency of the organized apparatus drops off rapidly. as the load on the low-pressure turbine decreases. This condition is, of course, aggravated when the reciprocating engine is operated under heavy loads and the low-' pressure turbine under light or no load.

An object of this invention is to increase the efliciency in operation of such apparatus,

and to provide meanswhereby to a great extent the full expansive force of the steam is utilized regardless of the load variations-on either the high or low-pressure engine.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 14, 1909. Serial No. 472,230.

Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

In carrying out this invention, I employ in combination with a high-pressure engine, which may be a reciprocating engine or a turbine, a low-pressure engine, which is preferably a turbine, connected in series with a source of supply of steam or other .motive fluid and means for automatically engine around the low-pressure engine when such steam is in excess of that demanded by the low-pressure engine, and I deliver this excess steam directly to the condenser in such manner and quantity as to maintain the pressure in the exhaust of the reciproeating engine at as low a point as is necessary tov operate the low-pressure turbine at its load. This arrangement reduces the consumption of motive fluid by the high-pressure engine considerably below what it would be if the excess steam or motive fluid were discharged into the atmosphere or against a fixed back-pressure and it increases the available energy of the organized apparatus.

In the drawings accompanying this application and forming a part thereof: Figure 1 is a more or less diagrammatic arrangement of a high-pressure engine, lowpressure' turbine, a condenser and controlling valve arranged to carry out my invention; and, Fig. 2 isa sectionalelevation of' the controlling valve utilized in the organized apparatus, and is shown in conjunction with the turbine governor.

The organized apparatus or systempreferably comprises a reciprocating eng1ne3,

a turbine 4 designed to operate on the exhaust steam from said, engine, a condenser system 5 connected to the exhaust of the turbine by suitable piping 6 and to the exhaust of the engine by piping 7 The engine is shown as driving a generator 8 while the turbine drives a generator 9. The line 7 connecting the exhaust of the engine with the condenser is provided with an atmospheric relief valve. 10 of any suitable .de-

sign to prevent excessive pressure in the exhaust system in case of emergency, and

the inlet to the turbine connects with the line 7 and therefore with the exhaust from the engine by a pipe 11; which pipe is provided with an ordinary throttle valve 12.

A speed-responsive device 13, which is shown in the form of an ordinary fly-ball v governor, is operatively connected .to the shaft of the turbine-and is utilized for con-- trolling the steam supplied to the turbine in accordance with its load demands.

A valye 14, which, if desired, may be of the double-beat-puppet type as illustrated, is

located in the line 7 between the exhaust of the engine and the condenser and through suitable linkage is coupled up to the turbine speed-responsive device. The valve controls the effective area between the engine and the condenser and the linkage between it'and the speed-responsive device is such that when the fly-balls of the device move inwardly (upon the slowing down in the speed of the I tive of the position of the balls of-the speedresponsive device. The hand wheel is at- I tached to a screw 18 which lies' in the path of the stem 19 of'the valve. As the hand wheel is turned down, the screw 18 will abut against the end-of the valve stem and move the-valve more or less. 4

'In the operation of the organized apparatus 0r system-assuming thatthe engine 3 is running and exhausting either through the atmospheric relief valve or to the condenser,-

(the valve 14 having been previously opened manually by means of hand wheel 15) .in or-.

der to start up the turbine, throttle valve 12 will be opened, and the hand wheel slacked to allow the valve 14c to bemov'ed by the speed-responsive. device 13.

the engine exhaust, maybe. supplied with steam exhausted from anumber 'ofengines or turbines or from a collection of separately operated steam units, such as pumps or compressors. The turbine may be of anycdesired type and the condenser may be either of the et or surface type.

schematically represent my invention.v

It may also be desirable to utilize this invention, for instance, in a plant where two kinds of power are required; that is, where one engine is utilized for the direct driving of machinery and the other for the driving of a generator. In this same plant steam of relatively high pressure might be required The drawings merely intense "212 degrees might be, required for some other purpose. In a case such as this, it would be desirable to employ a high-pressure engine or turbine expanding from the relatively high boiler pressure to, say, the pressure of fifty pounds and then employ a low-pressure engine or turbine expanding the steam from the pressure of fifty pounds to atmospheric pressure. The exhaust pipe from the low-pressure engine or. turbine could then discharge into the heaters or other apparatus utilizing the'steam at 212 degrees. 4, v k 8 0 In 'accordancewith the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of operation of.my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shownis only illustrative and that "the invention can be carried out by other means. v 7

What I claim is; r on -1. In combination with a turbine, a supply passage for delivering motive fluid to the turbine, acondenser, a by-pass communicating directly with said supply passage and said condenser, a single valve for controlling the operation of the turbine located in said by-pass, and a governor responsive in operation to the speed variations of said turbine for controlling the operation of saidvalve.

2. In combination with a high pressure 1% en inefa low pressure engine, a passage for de ivering-motive fiuidexhausted from the high pressure engine to'the low pressure engine inopen communication with theexhaust port of-the high pressure engine and. 106 the inlet port of the low pressure engine, a condenser, a by-pass in direct communication with the exhaust port of the high pressureen-gine andwiththe inlet of the con denser and afsingle "means for; controlling N said low pressure engine comprising a valve .located in said by-pass, and a governor actuated by the low pressure engine forcontrol- It will be understood, of-course',ltha't the line 7, which is shown as connecting with ling the operation of said valve.

I 3. In combination jwith" a high pressure engine, a low pressure engine, a passage in open communication'with the exhaust port ,ofsaid high pressure engine and the inlet port of' the low pressure engine for delivering fluid exhausted from the high pressure engine to the low pressure. engine, a condenser into which said low pressure engine discharges, a by-pass in. open communicati'onwith the exhaust port of the high presvalve.

passage-in open communication with the exhaust port of the engine, the inlet port of the turbine and the inlet of the condenser, and a single control valve for the turbine located insaid passage, between the exhaust port of the engine and the inlet of the 'condenser, and means responsive to variations in the load on the turbine for controlling the valve.

5. In combination, an engine, a turbine receiving fiuld exhausted from sald englne, a condenser 1n communlcatlon with the exhaust ports of both the engine and the turbine', a passage in open communication with the exhaust port of the engine and the inlet port of the turbine, a single valve for controlling the operation of the turbine, located betweenthe exhaust port of theengine and the inlet to the turbine, and a governor for the turbine for controlling the 'operation of said. valve.

' In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 12th day of J anuary, 1909. V

. 'WARREN B. FLANDERS. Witnesses:

' G. W. MOGHEE,

GEO. A. WALKER. 

